Unemployment rate at 4.2%
In December 2023, the number of unemployed persons1 was 207 thousand and the unemployment rate was 4.2%2. In 2023, for the year as a whole, the average number of unemployed people increased to 203 thousand, unemployment rate rising to 4.1%.
October–December 2023 compared to a year before:
In the October–December 2023 period, the number of unemployed persons aged 15–74 increased by 31 thousand to 220 thousand, while unemployment rate rose by 0.6 percentage points to 4.4%. Among males, the number of unemployed persons was 113 thousand, their unemployment rate going up by 0.4 percentage points to 4.3%. Among females, the number of unemployed people was 107 thousand, their unemployment rate rose by 0.8 percentage points to 4.5%.
The number of unemployed people aged 15–24 years was 46 thousand, their unemployment rate being 14.7%. This group accounted for 21.1% of all unemployed. The unemployment rate for 25-54year olds rose by 0.4 percentage points to 3.9%, while for 55-74-year olds remained essentially unchanged at 3.2%.
The highest unemployment rate was in Northern Hungary (7.3%), and the lowest in Central Transdanubia (2.2%). Compared to the same period of last year, the highest increase in the unemployment rate was in Southern Transdanubia (1.8 percentage points), while the lowest increase was in Western Transdanubia and Budapest (equally by 0.2percentage points).
The average duration of job search was 9.3 months, 34.2% of the unemployed had been looking for a job for at least a year.
Unemployment among 15–74-year-olds* by age group, October–December 2023
| Age group, year–olds | Number | Unemployment rate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| thousand persons | change, thousand personsa) | % | change, percentage pointsa) | |
| 15–24 | 46.3 | 12.6 | 14.7 | 3.6 |
| 25–54 | 142.6 | 14.2 | 3.9 | 0.4 |
| 55–74 | 30.9 | 4.1 | 3.2 | 0.2 |
| Total | 219.8 | 30.9 | 4.4 | 0.6 |
* The data of 15–64-year-olds are available in Table 20.2.1.5 among Summary tables (STADAT).
a) Compared to the same period of the previous year.
At the end of December 2023 compared to a year earlier:
According to the administrative data of the National Employment Service (https://nfsz.munka.hu/). the number of registered jobseekers decreased by 2.3% to 225 thousand.
In 2023, compared to a year before:
In 2023 the number of unemployed increased by 27 thousand to 203 thousand and the unemployment rate grew by 0.5 percentage points to 4.1%.
The number of unemployed was 107 thousand for men and 96 thousand for women, with unemployment rates of 4.1% and 4.2%.
For the year as a whole, the average duration of job search was 9.3 months and the share of jobseekers looking for a job for at least a year reached 34.9%.